Referees

In one of the most negatively received UFC events in history, UFC 9: Motor City Madness on May 17, 1996 hosted a rematch between superstars Ken Shamrock and Dan Severn. It turned out to be one of the most boring MMA fights ever. It did have one very popular fights, though. Don Frye was supposed to fight Marco Ruas but fought Amaury Bitetti instead and was one that was a fan favorite for many early fans. Despite being outweighed by 25 lbs, Bitetti kept fighting and was beaten on for 10 minutes until a TKO was given by the ref.

Among the factors contributing to the poor reception the show received was the UFC's choice to abandon its usual tournament format in favor of pre-determined bouts. Fans reacted harshly to the change, and the tournament format was reintroduced at the following event.

The event also played host to some of the most boring fights in UFC history because of the aggressive anti-MMA campaign launched by Arizona Senator John McCain at that time, in which he called for, and received, rules modifications that went into effect the very night of the fights. Included in the new rules were guidelines preventing fighters from using closed-fist punches to the head, something that left many of the competitors--including Shamrock and Severn--at a total loss for what to do on the feet. In the main event, Severn defeated Shamrock by Split Decision after the fighters circled one another, pawing open-handed slaps for 30 minutes.